10 Tips from Happy People

Some studies show that meditation improves happiness [source: Max]. Consequently, activities like meditation, yoga and practicing mindfulness may boost your level of happiness and satisfaction. Meditation may allow you to put your problems in perspective, or the clarity achieved by the process, combined with a sense of mindfulness, may allow you to better appreciate things in the world around you that you've taken for granted.

People who have meditated regularly as part of scientific studies have also reported lower incidences of illness and feeling more connected to the people around them [source: Max]. Brain scans of meditators also show that areas of the brain associated with stress show less activity after meditation [source: Alleri].

In ancient times, true happiness was seen as something exceedingly rare and transcendent -- equivalent to being in touch with heavenly spirits [source: Holt]. Meditation is often associated with transcendence, with a progression beyond often trivial earthly concerns and moving into a more rarified space of higher understanding and contentment.

Words of a Saint

"There can be no joy in living without joy in work." --St. Thomas Aquinas